Motivate youth to establish Beekeeping units as the Sector has good potential to generate income/Farooq Khan

Srinagar: A one day training /sanitization program on “Honey Bee- the indispensable Insect- Its Management for Honey Industry” was organized by Agriculture Production and farmers welfare department Kashmir at Agriculture Complex Lalmandi today.
Advisor to Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor J&K Farooq Khan inaugurated the training program. During the Inaugural address Advisor highlighted bee keeping being fascinated rural Agro- Horticulture based activity and fits very well in the integrated agriculture system as an allied activity to increase the income of all groups of farmers, including small & marginal farmers. He said that there is a tremendous scope of beekeeping in the UT of J&K due to the plethora of flora available.
Advisor stressed upon the officers to motivate youth to establish viable Bee keeping units as the sector has good potential to generate income not only in honey production but also the production of by- products like beeswax, propolis, Bee venom & royal jelly. He laid stress upon the need to organize more and more such sanitization programs on apiculture as the sector plays a crucial role in providing large scale opportunities at comparatively lower capital costs ensuring more equitable distribution of income and wealth.
During the program Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal said that the department has prioritized the upliftment of the apiculture sector and the department has designed and drafted detailed project reports for promotion of high altitude honey in JK under Honey Mission. Giving the details regarding the colonies director said at present we have around 70 thousand colonies in Kashmir division against the requirement of 7 lakh colonies.
Farooq Ahmad Shah Joint Director Apiculture & Mushrooms gave a detailed powerpoint presentation on the subject and said that the apiculture cultivation is a way forward to double farmer’s income by 2022.
Mohammad Muzaffer Hurra Joint Director Agriculture (Extension) on the occasion said that the department is all set to provide training and awareness to the officers of the department and farmers to acquaint them about latest technological intervention.
Besides a large gathering of apiculture growers, Officers of the department & other concerned also attended the training program.
Earlier, the Advisor inspected the Kitchen Garden Lalmandi. During the visit he inspected various proceedings regarding raising of vegetable seedlings under controlled conditions, raising of vegetable seedlings in poly pouches and recently introduced growing of seedlings organically in coco peat trays.
Advisor directed for conducting individual household surveys of all the inhabitants of district Srinagar associated with the kitchen gardening so that the gap between the total demand and supply of vegetable seedling and other inputs could be regulated.
Director Agriculture on the occasion assured that the household survey has already been taken by the department on war footing basis, but again the department through print and electronic media shall coordinate with the inhabitants of district Srinagar to register themselves with Chief Agriculture Officer Srinagar or Seed Production Officer Lalmandi so that the exact quantity of vegetable seedlings is grown under controlled conditions and distributed among the beneficiaries well in time.
Director Agriculture also informed that regarding Kharief preparedness the department is in readiness for distribution of 60 lakh seedlings of different vegetable seedlings, out of which 50lakh seedlings will be distributed from Kitchen Garden Lalmandi and rest from respective districts.

KR Desk